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Delaware Fishing Records



This page lists each current Delaware record fish as well as the anglers who hooked, fought and landed them. Seventeen freshwater species and thirty saltwater species of trophy fish have been recognized as state records in Delaware. These fish are the largest specimens documented to have been caught by rod and reel.

If you think you have caught a potential new state record fish, please follow all Delaware Sport Fishing Tournament Rules. Pay particular attention to rule number 8.

Fish Species Record Holder Location Date Weight Length (In) Girth (In)
American Shad Bayard Conaway
Wilmington, DE		 Brandywine Creek 5/2/1972 6 lb. 12 oz. Not recorded Not recorded
Bluegill Arnold Harmon Diamond Pond 6/10/1998 2 lb. 10 oz. 13″ 14.25″
Bluegill Clifford Snyder Diamond Pond 4/29/2001 3 lb. 10 oz. Not recorded Not recorded
Carp Ronald Burnett
New Castle, DE		 Delaware River 6/6/1976 45 lb. Not recorded Not recorded
Catfish (any species) Colt Williamson
Harrington, DE		 Nanticoke River 8/21/2019 47 lb. 12 oz. 43″ 31″
Chain Pickerel Earl Messick
Blades, DE		 Horsey Pond 4/22/1972 7 lb. 3 oz. Not recorded Not recorded
Crappie Marvin Billips
St. Georges, DE		 Noxtontown Pond 5/30/1976 4 lb. 9 oz. Not recorded Not recorded
Largemouth Bass Andre Klein
New Castle, DE		 Wagamons Pond 2/20/2016 11 lb. 1.6 oz 27″ 20.5″
Muskellunge (Muskie) Thomas Sutton
Dover, DE		 Brandywine River 4/17/2013 20 lb. 8 oz. 42.25″ 19.5″
Redear Sunfish Marty Messick
Milford, DE		 Diamond Pond 6/14/1998 3 lb. 1 oz. 15″ 16″
Smallmouth Bass Jerry Proffitt
Newark, DE		 Brandywine River 5/29/1989 4 lb. 15 oz. Not recorded Not recorded
Snakehead Bobby Smith
Greenwood, DE		 Nanticoke River 4/27/2017 12 lb. 12 oz. 32″ 16″
Striped Bass Hybrid Earl Blevins
Newark, DE		 Lums Pond 3/12/1990 13 lb. 13 oz. Not recorded Not recorded
Trout Edwin Wallace
Wilmington, DE		 White Clay Creek 2/16/1997 11 lb. 10 oz. 28″ 18.5″
Walleye Nesbit Copenhaver
Wilmington, DE		 Brandywine River 7/23/1995 6 lb. 14 oz. 27.5″ 15″
White Perch Wayne Hastings
Seaford, DE		 Indian River 2/28/1997 2 lb. 9 oz. 15″ 13.75″
Yellow Perch Marvin Kessinger
Wilmington, DE		 Red Clay Creek 5/2/1976 2 lb. 11 oz. Not recorded Not recorded
Fish Species Record Holder Location Date Weight Length (In) Girth (In)
Atlantic Cod John Osborne
Lewes, DE		 Five Fathoms Bank 1/25/1975 44 lb. Not recorded Not recorded
Atlantic Croaker Catherine Simpson
Rehoboth, DE		 Indian River 9/12/1980 5 lb. 3 oz. Not recorded Not recorded
Atlantic Mackerel Ricky Yakimowicz
Lewes, DE		 Delaware Bay 4/2/1985 3 lb. 5 oz. Not recorded Not recorded
Black Drum Kenneth H. Smith
Frederica, DE		 Delaware Bay 5/20/1978 115 lb. Not recorded Not recorded
Black Sea Bass Steve Samluk
Newark, DE		 Fenwick Shoal 9/9/1988 7 lb. 6 oz. Not recorded Not recorded
Bluefish Luis Mispireta
Stevensville, MD		 Del-Jersey Artifical Reef 11/16/2015 24 lb. 13 oz. 43″ 23.5″
Blueline Tilefish Andrew Orr
Stevensville, PA		 Baltimore Canyon 8/18/2015 22 lb. 3 oz. 30.75″ 22″
Blue Marlin Bruce King
Camden, DE		 Poorman’s Canyon 7/8/1986 820 lb. Not recorded Not recorded
Cobia John Burbage
Ocean View, DE		 Atlantic Ocean 8/10/2018 79 lb. 6.4 oz. 56.5″ 28.25″
Dolphinfish William Emmert
Rehoboth, DE		 Baltimore Canyone 7/16/2014 56 lb. 14 oz. 54.25″ 32.5″
False Albacore Jason Conrad
Fleetwood, PA		 Atlantic Ocean 7/13/2019 22 lb. 9.6 oz. 35″ 22.5″
Flounder William Kendall
Dundalk, MD		 Indian River Inlet 10/7/1974 17 lb. 15 oz. Not recorded Not recorded
Golden Tilefish Dylan Baker
Lewes, DE		 Atlantic Ocean 6/20/2020 52 lb. 12.8 oz. 45.5″ 34″
Gray Triggerfish Buddy J. Masten
Clayton, DE		 Delaware Bay 9/30/2012 6 lb. 5 oz. 20″ 20″
Kingfish Billy Hastings
Millsboro, DE		 Bethany Beach 10/13/1973 4 lb. Not recorded Not recorded
King Mackerel Gordon Harris
Laurel, MD		 B-Buoy 9/19/1992 48 lb. 9 oz. Not recorded Not recorded
Mako Shark Thomas Barnes
Mechanicsburg, PA		 Poorman’s Canyone 7/22/2000 975 lb. 132″ 78″
Red Drum James Vandetti
Dover, DE		 Not recorded 6/15/1976 75 lb. Not recorded Not recorded
Scup (Porgy) Herman Schmidt
Milford, DE		 Not recorded 5/31/1979 5 lb. 5 oz. Not recorded Not recorded
Shark Brent Thomas
Manheim, PA		 Atlantic Ocean 7/11/1981 873 lb. Not recorded Not recorded
Sheepshead Dave Walker
Boothwyn, PA		 Delaware Bay 9/30/2014 17 lb. 2 oz. 28″ 24″
Spanish Mackerel Eric Ludwig
Shilington, PA		 Light Ship 8/6/2000 6 lb. 4 oz. 26.5″ 11.5″
Striped Bass (Rockfish) Ben Smith
Bryn Mawr, PA		 Atlantic Ocean 12/8/2012 52 lb. 51″ 30″
Swordfish Kurt Lorenz
Burke, VA		 Poormans Canyon 9/17/2013 358 lb. 90″ 47.5″
Tautog Glen Cave
Dagsboro, DE		 Delaware Bay 6/18/2005 21 lb. 4 oz. 31″ 23.5″
True Albacore David Francella
West Chester, PA		 Atlantic Ocean 9/15/1987 80 lb. Not recorded Not recorded
Tuna Dan Dillon
Herndon, PA		 Atlantic Ocean 7/2/2005 873 lb. 115″ 80″
Wahoo Will Stahlgren
Phoenixville, PA		 Atlantic Ocean 9/22/2007 106 lb. 72″ 32″
Weakfish William E. Thomas
Smyrna, DE		 Delaware Bay 5/20/1989 19 lb. 2 oz. Not recorded Not recorded
White Marlin William Garner
Forestville, MD		 Baltimore Canyon 9/25/1972 120 lb. Not recorded Not recorded

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